Hand truck



July 29, 1952 3 H002 ET AL I 2,605,117

HAND TRUCK Filed Sept. 23, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET l Samoa 7.' M51. L o.

INVEN TORS.

ATToRA/EYs.

July 29, 1952 5 H002 ET AL 2,605,117

HAND TRUCK I Filed Sept. 25, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fiewunmw I He @2. JNMUAZ 7f MR4. o.

I IN V EN TORS;

Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED STATES r errata HAND TRUCK Benjamin Hooz', Los .Angele's; andL'Samuel T. Mello, Bell Gardens calififsaid Mello assignor- Application September 23, 1946, Serial N0. 698,746

2 Claims; 1| 2. The invention relates tohand-trucks oftne type used to move cartons, barrels, crates' and boxes.

For a great many years there has'been little solely by reason of sheer strength or dexterity on the part of the operator. When the conventional hand truck is stood onend forloading-a some- What precarious balance is depended upon to hold it in upright position until it is fully loaded.- VVhen the load on the truck is heavy, the operator depends upon the strengthof his arms to support that portion of the load not carried by'the wheels when the truck is tilted-toward him preparatory to moving it about the floor; Whenthe truck is lowered so that the body-or frame is parallel to the floor, rigid legs support the end of the truck adjacent the handles, and the truck can no longer be freely moved about.

It is among the objects ofthe invention to provide a new and improved type of hand truclc of a design providing a substantial increase in stability in all positions of the truck and incorporatingsafety features not heretofore incorporated in the conventional type of hand Another object of the invention-is to pIOV-ldd a new and improved hand truck which is adapted to be rigidly fixed in any one of three or possibly more difierent positions of operation Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hand truck which can with greatersafety be retained -up-ended for loading purposes, which can be retainedin a semi-tilted position with the toe piece lifted offthe floor, and which can be lowered to androtained in a horizontal position in which the truck is free tov be moved about upon.wheeledsup-:.

ports. v

Still further among the-objects of the.1nvention is to provide a new and improved attach= ment for .hand' trucks of more: or; less conven tional design. in which the aims: outlined inthe foregoing objects are realized, the attachment being .one which can be quickly applied without substantial alteration of the design of the truck and which incorporatesworking parts capable of functioning in a cooperativemanner entirely in dependently of the structure of the truck, the attachment being of atype which can be. ad-

J'usted-to' fit any one of -a wide variety of 'diffei'e'nt styles and sizes of trucks.

With these and-other objects in view, the invention c-onsists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts'of the device whereby the objects con-templatedare attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed outin the claims and illustrated in-the accom panying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side' elevational view of one emiodiment ofthe inve'ntion in upstanding posiion- Figure. 2 "istarear. eleva-tion alaview of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view ofthe,

device takenson theline ot Figure 2 showingthe truck'in tilted position.

Figure. 4 is ia. side elevationalview of the device in lowered position.

Figure 5 isaacross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figu're'l.

Figureldis a fragmentary, sectional 'viewof a latch" at the rear portion of the device.

Figure" 7 is; aicrossesectional view similar to Figure '5 but showing a modified form of the device.

Figure 8: is" a fragmentary: front, elevational View showing a'modified. handle structure.

Figure 9 is "a sideelevational'viewof the modi fied structure shown in Figure 8.

In the embodiment selected for the purpose of illustrating the. invention there is shown a 1 hand truckicoinprising a body or frame lflrcon sistin'gqof-side elements I! and-i2 'secured together-by'ribbedcross-pieces [3; [5,15, l6 and I1. Handles-l8 a-nd H! are provided at the upper At the lower'endsi of .the.sideelernentsthere-is provided a toe piece, 2B.ofsubstantially conventional-design which in up-ended position of the truck; liesfiatupon ends of the side; elements;

the floor, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Also at thelower'ends of the si'defelen'ients are shaft mountings or brackets 2! and 22 which provide a bearing support for an. axle 23, com v prising in the present embodiment extensions of I a shaft- 38';--'-upon-which are mounted wheels'or rol1ers 24' and 25 designedto carry the frame upona supporting surface- 26;- In the invention herein described the customary legs usually found on a ha'nd 'truck are omitted."

For supportin the handtruck in the that mounted upon the shaft 38 which extends between the brackets 2| and 22. At the end of the platform remote from the pin the caster wheel 3| mounted in a fork 40 is shown provided with a swivel mounting 39 enabling the wheel to be free to rotate in any direction. The pin 36 may be made removable so that whenever desired the platform may be disconnected from the truck.

The column 32 comprises an interior rod or tube 4| having at its lower end a pivotal attachi ment 42 to the end of the platform adjacent the caster wheel. A hollow rod 43 has at its upper end a pivotal connection 44 to a clamp 55. The clamp, in turn, is fastened upon an anchoring attachment here shown in the form of a rod 16 which is provided with a means of securing the rod to the body or frame of the hand truck.

In this form of the invention the means of attachment comprises clamps 47 and 48 by means of which the rod 4.6 may be clamped upon a longitudinal beam 49 extending along the lon-,

gitudinal center line of the body or frame of the truck. It will be clear that the rod may be moved upwardly or downwardly for the purpose of adjustment and also that the clamp 85 may be shifted with respect to its location on the rod. By this device the same attachment may be fitted to any one of a number of different trucks of different sizes.

For locking the column 32 in one of its several positions of adjustment there is show a latch, illustrated in elevation in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and in section in Figure 6. The latch comprises a clamp and a finger 50 underlying a transverse pin 5| on the clamp 5|.

At the lower end of the finger is a locking pin 52 having a rivet connection 53 to the finger, the same connection being adapted to attach one end of a leaf spring 54 to the finger. The leaf spring is adapted to extend to a position between the sides of the clamp 5| beneath the finger and being under spring tension tends to hold the finger and locking pin in the positions shown in Figure 6.

The hollow rod 43 is provided with a single aperture 55 through which the locking pin is adapted to extend into engagement with one of a plurality of apertures 58 in the interior rod 4 In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 7 the truck frame comprising the side elements II and I2, toe piece '20 and wheels 24 and 25 incorporates a platform or third wheel carriage 60 having two legs 6| and 82, each of which have a pivotal connection 53 to the shaft 38. At the end of the carriage remote from the shaft 38 there are mounted two swivel casters 64 and 65. The pivotal attachment 42 is adapted to carry the column 32 as previously described.

When desired, the attachment may be mounted with considerable ease upon a truck wherein the frame has a structure similar to that shown in Figures 8 and 9. Here the frame consists of a tubular member having a curved cross-piece H joining the tubular member at opposite sides of the truck. A single handle rod 12 extends upwardly from the curved portion 1|.

When this construction is encountered upon one of the hand trucks to which the attachment is to be made, the bracket 55-may be attached directly to the handle and in this way provide the column 32 with the previously described pivotal connection M required for operation of the invention. The latch previously described in detail is used in the same manner in the modified form illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

In use the truck is normally up-ended in the position shown in Figure 1 for loading. In that position the column 32 is extended to its greatest length and locked in extended relationship by means of the latch. In this position the column 32 firmly braces the location of the caster wheel 3|, and the wheel 3| with the wheels 24 and form a three point support for the truck or frame, thereby greatly adding to its stability when lifted to a loading position.

After the loading has been completed, the truck frame may be tilted rearwardly to the position shown in Figure 3 by the exercise of no more than a pull upon the handles. At the same time the pull is made, however, or slightly prior to the exertion of the pull, the latch is moved to open position by pressure of one hand or the other of the'operator upon the finger 55.

Opening of the latch lifts the locking pin 52 out of position and permits the column to shorten an amount sufficient to permit the locking pin 52 to slide into the next aperture 55. This is the position shown in Figure 3, and by means of the latch the truck frame is locked in a semitilted position,. the caster wheel 3| and truck wheels 24 and 25 forming a three point support for the truck and its'contents.

If desired, the truck can be wheeled about in semi-tilted position as shown. If operation in a semi-tilted position is found not to be feasible, the latch can again be released and the truck body permitted to fall .to the substantially horizontal position shown in Figure 4.

With the column 32 collapsed in the manner shown the caster wheel 3| serves, in effect, as a leg for the truck, supporting it in a horizontal position as shown. By reason of the fact thatboth portions of the column are collapsed to the full extent of their movement one with respect to the other the frame cannot be lowered unnecessarily close to the supporting surface or, in fact, no closer than the horizontal position shown in Figure 4. In this position the caster wheel or roller 3| serves not only as a leg-like support for the frame but also as a rolling support acting together with wheels or rollers 25 and 25 providing a three point horizontal support for the truck, in which position it can be moved freely about.

From the horizontal position shown in Figure 4 the truck may be lifted in the customary manner by lifting upon the handles l3 and I9 without it being necessary to release the finger 56. As thus handled, the truck plays the part of a conventional hand truck. At any moment, however, the finger 5|) may be released permitting the caster wheel 3| to lower by virtue of its own weight into contact with the supporting surface, in which position it may be latched. The truck then may be said to have a three point support in the manner heretofore described.

The attachment herein described is particularly simple in its design and construction and by reason of its compact arrangement is adapted to be applied to many different types of hand trucks, thereby converting the initially conventional hand truck into a novel trucking device of the type described herein. The attachment may be a permanent part of the truck or may be adapted to be attached and removed therefrom at will.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures.

The invention having been herein described, what is claimed and sought to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand truck comprising, a body having handle means at one end thereof and a pair of ground-engaging wheels at the other end thereof mounted on a common axis, a rearwardly extending carriage pivoted to said body on a fixed axis adjacent and parallel to said common axis, a ground-engaging caster wheel on said carriage spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of said common axis, a brace member comprising telescopically related elements, one of said elements being permanently pivoted to said body and the other of said elements being permanently pivoted to said carriage on axes spaced from and parallel to said common axis, and latch means carried by one of said elements and engageable with said other element at a plurality of positions to lock said elements in telescopically adjusted positions to thereby vary the length of said brace member, the pivotal connection between the brace member and said body comprising a pivot-supporting bracket, a rod fixed to said body generally normal to said common axis,

and means for securing said bracket to said rod at selected positions therealong.

2. A hand truck comprising, a body having handle means at one end thereof and a pair of ground-engaging wheels at the other end thereof mounted on a common axis, a rearwardly extending carriage pivoted to said body on a fixed axis adjacent and parallel to said common axis, a ground-engaging caster wheel on said carriage spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of said common axis, a brace member comprising telescopically related elements, one of said elements being permanently pivoted to said body and the other of said elements being permanently pivoted to said carriage on axes spaced from and parallel to said common axis, and latch means carried by one of said elements and engageable with said other element at a plurality of positions to lock said elements in telescopically adjusted positions to thereby vary the length of said brace member, the pivotal connection between said brace and said body comprising a pivot-supporting rod, means releasably securing said rod to said body with said rod extending generally normal to said common axis for longitudinal adjustment to vary the distance between the pivot carried thereby and the said common axis.

BENJAMIN HOOZ. SAMUEL T. MELLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 525,954 Kinder Sept. 11, 1894 627,284 Walker June 20, 1899 1,358,235 Nylin Nov. 9, 1920 2,030,925 Lea Feb. 18, 1936 

